Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

diagnosis question

35 replies

adrianna1 · 12/04/2014 11:35

Hi everyone

Just a quick question.. when my DS was being assessed for autism. At the end of the day, he was given an autism and a moderate learning disability diagnosis...

I have an issue with the learning disability diagnosis which they gave my son. The person who assessed my son said on his report that he presented with a moderate learning disability. Which is ok. But he did not formally assesses my son.. which he also said in the report.

I think it is unfair to add the moderate learning disability to my son's diagnosis, when he has not been assessed at all! He most probably does have a learning disability, but I would like my son to be tested for it, before he is given a diagnosis of it...

I'm meeting with the doctor soon to discuss this? Am I in the right? Or does this usually happen?

OP posts:

Skylar123 · 12/04/2014 11:45

My Ds has dx of ASD. He was assessed by spld base unit via school for possible learning disability in the form of objective educational assessments such as YARC, WISC, WIATT. We are awiaiting further assessments . His autism assessment was through Communications Disorder Clinic.

ToniQueensPark · 12/04/2014 11:48

sounds a bit mickey mouse to me - how old is your DS?

Skylar123 · 12/04/2014 11:56

I don't understand how the learning disability dx came about with the autism dx but I'm no expert. Has there been additional assessments done to support this, is you Ds at school ?

Original poster

adrianna1 · 12/04/2014 12:10

My DS is four and no they have not been any additional assessments to support this. The doctor did say that when I apply for a statement, the educational psychologist will asses my son, which is fine, but I would rather that they did not add in the learning disability diagnosis before assessing him.

He is not at school, just at nursery.

What do you mean by mickey mouse?

OP posts:

StarlightMcKenzie · 12/04/2014 12:15

Write to the Dx-giver and thank them for the diagnosis of ASD and tell that you will find it helpful. Ask them to retract the Dx of intellectual disability and explain that you at this time feel it will undermine your attempts to get appropriate support.

Original poster

adrianna1 · 12/04/2014 12:15

I did say that I felt my DS has attention issues, and she then asked me that she does not think he understands a lot..... I don't know if this prompt her to give him a learning disability diagnosis without assessment.

OP posts:

StarlightMcKenzie · 12/04/2014 12:16

Don't argue with the 'professional opinion' just ask for it to be removed as clinically unnecessary at this stage.

lougle · 12/04/2014 12:32

I'd keep the label, tbh. It will give you more choices. If your DS seems to keep up with his peers better than expected, they can revise it. If he struggles, you can seek a place at a wider variety of schools. Most MLD children in our area don't have a hope of special school now (DD1 is one of the lucky ones who got in before the situation got so crazy) and there is so much demand for places that schools are having to extend and children who would have been a 'dead cert' for special school are being forced into mainstream because they simply don't have room for them.

What do you feel is the problem with a MLD dx?

autumnsmum · 12/04/2014 13:08

Dd2 has a diagnosis of autism and cognitive impairment . In her case I feel it sums her up completely

StarlightMcKenzie · 12/04/2014 13:10

TBH, to qualify for a statement you have to have a learning difficulty.

ASD can be argued to include impairments that make learning in the 'typical' way, difficult, but it is a whole lot easier if the words 'learning difficulty/disability it is on paper from a Consultant.

zen1 · 12/04/2014 13:10

I would be worried that if he doesn't have MLD, but it is still left on the report as part of his diagnosis, it could be used as a reason not to provide certain interventions. I would wait for a proper assessment and go from there.

StarlightMcKenzie · 12/04/2014 13:13

I think the whole MLD thing is just as vague as can be anyway.

Does my ds have a MLD?

He has ASD. It's effects can be severe. His recent EP assessment said he wasn't even high functioning which means what? That he DOES have MLD because he doesn't have HFA?

I doubt you'll be able to find two people who will agree on the definition tbh so you just have to ask yourself how useful the term will be for you to access needed services which are becoming more and more narrow in their criteria.

StarlightMcKenzie · 12/04/2014 13:14

And for the purpose of budget cuts, a lot of children who would originally be classed as SLD are being classed as MLD in the recent push towards mainstream.

PolterGoose · 12/04/2014 13:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

adrianna1 · 12/04/2014 14:57

Hi everyone

Np, I am not arguing with the diagnosis. I just want my son to be tested, before he is given that diagnosis...

OP posts:

Original poster

adrianna1 · 12/04/2014 14:58

My DS has a severe langage delay, that in itself would be enough for a statement.

OP posts:

Original poster

adrianna1 · 12/04/2014 15:07

I don't think anybody is getting what I mean...

My son would be tested by the educate psychologist for his statement when he starts school, this year.

I'm just saying that it is not wise to give him a moderate learning disability, when he has not been tested.

I am getting no help for my son, the doctor said he does not need it...so even with the diagnosis of MLD...he still not getting any help.

OP posts:

Sixtiesqueen · 12/04/2014 15:12

I think this is odd, too. I work in the NHS and privately diagnosis autism and we would never label a child's cognitive ability unless it had been formally assessed.

Original poster

adrianna1 · 12/04/2014 15:13

Because my DS has the MLD on his report, which would be on the system...everyone would have a misconception of him

If later it is found that he does not have MLD..would this even be reversed and put in the system.

OP posts:

Original poster

adrianna1 · 12/04/2014 15:15

@sixtiesqueen- THANK-YOU! somebody gets what I mean.

I would rather my son be tested, than to be just given a diagnosis.

OP posts:

Original poster

adrianna1 · 12/04/2014 15:24

@zen1 too- You also get what I mean.

My son would get help regardless of diagnosis, he also has a severe language delay..

My son has an Autism diagnosis, he is not getting any help whatsoever..simply because his ASD symptoms are very mild to non-existence...but has delays in social communication and obviously language.

OP posts:

AgnesDiPesto · 12/04/2014 16:11

I agree if MLD is being used to mean low (below normal range) IQ then it shouldn't be included unless it has been properly assessed.

In this area that sets low expectations. Children with ASD who are bright get poor quality intervention and then when they don't learn the autism and LD gets blamed rather than looking at the quality of the teaching / intervention. Its a convenient explanation for poor progress.

MLD does mean different things by different people but if it is being used to say your child has an IQ below a certain number and that hasn't been tested then you should object. Here MLD means IQ below 70 and SLD below 50.

They may say they can't assess IQ at 4 (language difficulties and non compliance with testing make it difficult and IQ tests for autism are notorious for coming out lower than actual ability), but thats different than giving a definite diagnosis.

In my experience children with autism who have a normal IQ or above are often written off by schools as incapable of learning when actually (personal experience of this) it is the teacher who doesn't know how to teach a child with ASD. When we taught DS at home we were able within weeks to teach him 2 years of maths and he jumped about 6 levels of progress. Clearly it was the school not his IQ that was the problem.

hazeyjane · 12/04/2014 16:16

Out of interest when do they do formal assessments of things like IQ learning disability - 4 seems very young. Ds has been assessed by an ed psych, and developmental paed ( Griffiths scale) but I don't think there is any mention of learning disability. Actually I am going off to check.

zen1 · 12/04/2014 20:07

When DS was assessed at nearly 5 by a private EP and SALT (for sendist appeal), he did score near 'borderline' in some of the EP assessments, but SALT (who was very on the ball) felt that he did not have a learning disability, but that his language disorder was affecting his ability to understand what was expected from him in the tests so they did not reflect his actual potential / abilities. I feel it must be really hard for him as some parts of language are like listening to a foreign language for him and you can see him trying to guess what he is being asked to do.

hazeyjane · 12/04/2014 20:14

I checked, there is no mention, but I guess he was only observed. What sort of assessments do they do in order to ascertain levels of learning disability?

Sorry Arianna for hijacking thread with question!

Flip

1 2